Hope started her physical therapy Nov 2nd. She goes to Dr. Lodge at Broken Top Vet in Sisters. All of the team there is very supportive and do all they can for this gracious bird. Hope has to be anesthetized for pt given the pain it causes and the stress. We are working to reducing the time under she must endure in order to make the appts quick and easy for her.

During physical therapy, Hope gets range of motion passive movements applied, that stretch her tissues, such as the patagium and the muscles. Our goal is for her to fly again, so this element of rehabilitation is imperative. Without pt her muscles and other tissues would be too bound for her to fully stretch the wing out for flight. We do not know yet how successful pt will be, it may be she cannot regain that mobility, but we work towards that goal regardless. She has several more weeks in rehab.

We switched her up to a 6 foot pool this week, and she is liking that a lot. She really wants to bathe, but full immersion in water is still some days away. In the meantime, I give her a good spritzing with water so she can preen her back well. And she does a good job on her own.

She finally discovered the wonderful deliciousness of Mazuri waterfowl food, her high grade food that I have been eager for her to start eating (so I can stop tube feeding her!). She is now gobbling that up, along with the native vegetation our guy from Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge gets her (thanks Marti!).

She has in her room, 2 swan sized beds, one is 6 inches of foam and the other about 5 inches of blankets. These help take the pressure off of her keel when she rests at night. This is important, as a wound along her sharp edged keel can form from her having her weight on her chest for long periods. This is a key reason to get waterbeds onto some water floating as soon as possible and the injury allows.

Today will be her 3rd pt appt. Wish us well and enjoy these pictures. I am happy to answer questions. And of course we can always use donations. Especially for her new pool!

About

Native Bird Care is small. But the work we do is critical. The needs of the birds we work with - song, shore, and waterbirds - are often underestimated. Each species is so unique that we must cater to each type of bird and their particular needs in care and housing. Add to that, handling these birds can be tricky; they all require specialized training.

There are easy and affordable solutions for most bird impacts. *window solutions to prevent bird injuries on windows. *Put up a catio - an outside, enclosed play yard for cats. *Teach an outside cat to be entertained inside (yes, it can be done). *Plant native plants and fruit bearing species. *Keep dogs on leash. *Use safe exclusion methods if you do not want them on the house.